BUFFALO, N.Y. - Veteran defenceman Robyn Regehr dropped his no-trade clause to allow the Buffalo Sabres to deal him to the Los Angeles Kings, where he'll be reunited with his former coach, Darryl Sutter.

The trade was announced by both teams on Monday night, with the Kings saying the deal is contingent on Regehr passing a medical exam. In exchange, the Sabres acquired the Kings' second-round picks in 2014 and 2015.

The move was completed with the NHL trading deadline approaching on Wednesday afternoon.

The 13-year NHL veteran will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. He has two assists in 29 games this season, but Los Angeles covets Regehr's physical defensive play while defencemen Matt Greene and Willie Mitchell remain out with long-term injuries.

Regehr spent the past two seasons with Buffalo after 11 seasons with Calgary, where he played for Sutter.

The underachieving Sabres (13-17-6), who are 13th in the Eastern Conference, are retooling for the future. Regehr becomes the third blue-liner traded by defence-rich Buffalo in three weeks.

On Saturday, the Sabres dealt veteran Jordan Leopold to St. Louis in exchange for a second- and conditional fifth-round picks in this year's draft. On March 15, they acquired a 2013 fifth-round pick for sending rookie T.J. Brennan to Florida.

"We're certainly going to focus on next season versus this season," Regier said in a taped interview released by the Sabres. "For us, it was an opportunity to get draft picks and allow us to really strengthen our organization."

Regier said the Kings first expressed interest in Regehr about two weeks ago. The Sabres settled on two second-round picks over the next two years because Los Angeles didn't have a first-round pick this year. Regier added, the Kings also weren't willing to trade their second-round pick this year.

The bruising, playoff-tested Regehr should fill one of the few remaining needs for the surging Kings, who have earned seven points in the first four games of their five-game road trip after beating Dallas on Sunday. Los Angeles (20-12-3) began Monday in fifth place in the West, and plays at Phoenix on Tuesday.

Greene injured his back in the Kings' season opener, and the veteran isn't likely to return before the post-season. Mitchell likely won't play for Los Angeles this season after undergoing knee surgery.

Rob Scuderi has logged heavy minutes on the Kings' penalty kill in his veteran teammates' absence, and Regehr should provide steady physical play alongside him.

Regehr isn't a prolific scorer, topping 20 points just three times in his career, but the Kings know about his toughness firsthand: Regehr ended Los Angeles forward Justin Williams' season in March 2011, separating his right shoulder with a hard, clean hit along the boards.

In Buffalo, he was also regarded as a veteran leader on a young, patchwork team.

Regehr was held out of practice in Buffalo on Monday, before the Sabres travelled to Pittsburgh, where they'll play on Tuesday night. Interim head coach Ron Rolston said Regehr was given a "maintenance day" to rest, but also hinted the Sabres might be trading a defenceman.

When asked if the Sabres intend to carry six defencemen on their roster, Rolston said: "We've got six. That's the plan as of right now."

Regehr did speak to reporters in the locker room after practice and acknowledged the possibility he could be dealt, calling it "part and parcel" of the job.

He showed no disappointment in his playoff-free two seasons with the Sabres after waiving his no-trade clause to join the high-priced disappointments.

The Sabres were so intent on getting Regehr two years ago that owner Terry Pegula, his wife, Kim, and former Sabres coach Lindy Ruff left the draft in Minnesota to meet with Regehr at his cabin in northern Saskatchewan.

"It's the way it's gone, unfortunately," Regehr said. "It's the situation we're in. So we'll see what happens."

Buffalo isn't thought to be done dealing before Wednesday, with general manager Darcy Regier saying no player is untouchable. Underperforming forward Drew Stafford is thought to be on the market, while captain Jason Pominville has also been mentioned.